I Need a Hero
by FutureMe
Summary: Set after alternate ending- Rapunzel does heal Eugene and then is taken away by Gothel. Now Eugene must save her. Can their love overcome evil? Will Rapunzel survive? Can Eugene make it to her in time? Unashamedly 'Knight in Shining Amour' type romance.
1. Chapter 1

Eugene watched helplessly as Rapunzel was dragged down the stairs by Gothel, he begged and pleaded for Gothel to let her go. He heaved against the chains that were binding him to the staircase with all his strength, but the chains didn't break. His mind raced as he tried to think of another way to get free, another way to stop this from happening. "I love you Rapunzel!" he called out. His heart broke at the thought that it may be last chance he would get to say it to her.

"I love you too Eugene" she called back. He could hear her voice breaking as she said it, she was crying.

"I'll come for you; I won't stop looking until I find you." He called, hearing the desperation in his own voice.

Gothel pulled Rapunzel to her and hissed. "If he tries to follow us I will kill him the first chance I get, tell him not to if you want him to live."

"Don't follow me Eugene, it's not safe, I'll be ok." Rapunzel called as Gothel yanked on the chain locked around Rapunzel's wrists. She had a feeling she had not convinced anyone with what she had said but she really did mean it. She hated the thought of Eugene getting hurt trying to help her and as devastating as it was she would rather they be apart and have him safe than risk his life trying to save her.

"I don't care, I'll find you, and I'll bring an entire army with me if I have to. I will find you!" He called; he could hear their footsteps getting further and further away as they descended the tower. And then she was gone, he was alone. He tried to peer out the window to see if he could see them leaving the secret entrance but the chains that bound him to the staircase banister held him too far away. Taking a deep breath he looked around the room, looking for something he could use to beak his chains. 'C'mon Eugene, think, just think about it for a minute' he talked to himself, trying to slow the chaos of adrenaline and heartbreak that was coursing through his veins. He couldn't let Rapunzel be taken away and hidden for another sixteen years, he'd only just found her and there was no way he was about to give her up. His eyes landed on the fireplace or more importantly the stand next to the fireplace holding the tools needed for stoking a fire, long metal pokers, perfect for prying chains apart. But it was well out of his reach. He wriggled, squirmed and stretched in every way he could to try and get closer to them but nothing worked. He pulled off his boot and made aim, if he could get the boot to bounce off the wall and hit the stand at the right angle, he might be able to knock them in his direction.

"Please, please, please..." he muttered and then threw the boot. It hit the wall but bounced in the wrong direction. "Gah!" he shouted in frustration and grabbed his other boot.

"C'mon, Eugene, you can do this." He spoke out loud as he took aim. He held his breath and threw. It hit the wall, it bounced and it landed next to the stand. "No!" He cried. Frustration bubbled up inside him and he kicked the stairs he was chained too, searing pain shot through his foot. Not the smartest idea to go kicking things when you're not wearing boots he thought as he grabbed his foot and rocked back and forth while he waited for the pain to ease. It hurt even more than when Max had stood on it the other day. "Wait" He said turning to the window. "Max!" He shouted. "Max, are you still down there?" He heard a high pitched whinny in reply. "Oh buddy, that good news!" he called back. "Listen, Rapunzel's in trouble, you've got to help her, try and follow her scent, find out where she's headed." An affirmative whinny rang out and Eugene could hear hoof beats charging into the distance. He spirits renewed, he pulled at his chains, and he noticed a slight movement in the banister as he did. He grabbed the wooden pillar and with all his might began to push and then pull it, side to side, again and again, until slowly it began to give. He continued to do it, for almost an hour he didn't stop, his hands were raw, his muscles ached and sweat drenched his body, but it was moving, he was getting closer to being free. After another twenty minutes of pushing and pulling, fatigue was clawing at his body, he stopped to take a few deep breaths and try and regain some strength. Looking around the room he saw the many paintings Rapunzel had created on the walls, he noticed the one of her gazing up at the 'floating lights'. It gave him the final push he needed and he returned to the task at hand, with a final burst of strength he grabbed the pillar and threw his body against it, he heard a creek, and then a snap and it broke free of the step. He and the pillar fell to the floor and in a loud crash and there they stayed for a few long moments, he was free, his hands were still bound but he was free of the tower. He rushed to the kitchen and picked up a jug of water, pouring it down his parched throat; he slumped against the counter and let his breathing come back to normal. The only food left in the tower was a couple of bruised apples; which he devoured in seconds. He then grabbed his boots, pulled them on, raced down the steps and out into the night.

* * *

><p>Rapunzel choked back tears as she was pulled along behind Gothel, her wrists were raw from the hand cuffs binding them and she shivered as the night air began to bite at her bare feet and arms.<p>

"Enough whining Rapunzel, it's pathetic." Gothel snapped at her as she tugged the chain connecting them. Rapunzel stumbled and blinked back the tears; she didn't need Gothel to be any crueller to her than she already was. "You brought all of this on yourself, and now I have to try and find us a new place to live, do you know how hard that is going to be for me?"

Rapunzel didn't reply, she couldn't speak without crying and the devastation weighing her down was unbearable. Pascal was holding on tightly to her hair and whimpering occasionally, she was glad to at least have him with her. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew it would be far away from the castle and the tower. As she trudged through the forest she wondered if Eugene was ok, if he had escaped the tower yet, she guessed that given he was a thief, he would have found a way out of the chains by now. Or at least she hoped he had.

"Ouch!" she cried as she stepped on a sharp stick, it had cut her foot.

"What now Rapunzel?" Gothel turned to scowl at her in annoyance.

"N...Nothing, it was nothing." Rapunzel replied, too afraid to cause any more 'problems' for Gothel.

"Then stop making so much noise, it's giving me a headache." She sighed and continued walking. Rapunzel stumbled and began limping after her, biting her tongue to keep herself from crying out in pain. They trudged on for another hour, the air was cooling rapidly and Rapunzel's arms and legs were beginning to go numb, her stomach rumbled in hunger and she was feeling feint as exhaustion began to set in.

"We'll stop here for the night." Gothel announced. There was a small clearing by a river with an overhanging boulder providing some shelter. Gothel fastened Rapunzel's chains around a tree. "There is a town not too far from here, I'll go and get some food, if you're lucky I may bring some back for you." Rapunzel nodded in understanding. "And if I hear so much as a peep from you, any kind of call for help, you will regret it." Gothel threatened then turned and left the clearing. Rapunzel was, in every meaning of the word, alone. She laid her head in her hands and cried.

* * *

><p>Maximus frantically circled back and forth on the far side of a river. He had followed Rapunzel's trail for a few miles before it came to this river but now, no matter how hard he tried, he could not pick it up again. He paced back and forth, snorting in frustration, he was not on official kingdom business but he had grown so fond of the girl he would do anything to find her. It had grown dark and he found himself in a predicament, should he go back to the castle or go back to Eugene the thief and see if they could find her together. The choice was clear, he must find Rapunzel, she was so sweet and kind and even if it meant teaming up with Eugene again, he would do it. He waded into the river and out the other side then headed back to the tower at a gallop.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Eugene ran into the night, he had only just cleared the secret entrance to the tower when he heard hoof beats barrelling towards him. Fearing it was the guards he took cover behind a tree and peered out, he didn't have to wait long to see a flash of white as Max galloped past him. Eugene stepped out from behind the bush and shouted to him. Max screeched to a halt and turned back to Eugene.

"Hey Max, did you find her, is she ok?" Eugene asked in a rush. Max shook his head and lowered his eyes in shame. "But did you follow their trail some of the way?" Max picked up his head and nodded. "Great job Max, well, we've got a start, do you need a rest or can you take me as far as you followed them?" Max jumped to attention and stepped towards Eugene, Eugene leapt up onto his back and grabbed the reins. "Let's go Buddy." Eugene softly said and gave Max an affectionate rub behind his ears. The two were finally bonding, he smiled, Rapunzel will be happy about that at least. Then they took off at a blistering pace into the dark forest.

Some hours later they had reached the river where Max had lost Rapunzel's sent, it was nearing midnight and the duo were tired, hungry and feeling drained from the day's events.

"What do you say Max, do we get a few hours sleep and set off at first light?" Max lowered his head in defeat then gave a small nod.

"We'd struggle to track anything in the dark anyway, I think they would have stopped for the night too so they shouldn't get too far away from us." Eugene said, more trying to convince himself than Max. The two found a clearing and Eugene made a quick makeshift fire for them, the warmth was comforting and they lay their tired bodies down, it took a while to fall asleep on the hard ground but eventually exhaustion claimed them and they slept.

Rapunzel shivered and wrapped her hair around her for warmth. She had thought about trying to start a fire but all the wood around her was damp and she didn't want Gothel thinking she was trying to attract attention and escape. She had already taken enough abuse for one day. It was quiet in the forest and a low mist began to gather over the river, its icy fingers reached out towards her as it swirled above the water giving everything an eerie feeling. It made her wish that Eugene was by her side even more, she wouldn't have been scared if he was with her, but as it was she was on her own, in the dark jumping at the slightest sound and imagined shadows.

She had thought about trying to sleep but her stomach's growling had turned into a roar and she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she filled it with something. Pascal had fallen asleep on her shoulder and was gently wheezing into her ear but Rapunzel still heard the footsteps approaching. A lump of bread landed at her feet.

"There, don't say I never give you anything." Gothel snidely remarked. Rapunzel quickly grabbed the bread and tried to pull it apart, she could hardly break it with her fingers, it was so stale but she didn't care she bit into it and pulled with her teeth until she got a mouthful. "No need to act like an animal dear." Gothel said in disgust. Rapunzel just rolled her eyes as she devoured the bread.

"Now, the good news is." Gothel continued. "I've found a very kind gentleman in town who was willing to offer me a warm bed for the night, pity about you though, he just couldn't spare the room." Rapunzel blinked in disbelief, Gothel was going to leave her alone, chained up in a forest all night. "Don't look at me like that Rapunzel, it's not that cold of a night, and you'll be fine out here."

"I..I.." Rapunzel stuttered as she tried to find the words.

"Don't mumble Rapunzel!" Gothel chided her. "Look, I'm willing to offer you a deal." Gothel paused for effect. "Sing for me and I'll leave you my cape." Gothel primped her hair as she offered Rapunzel the deal.

"You want me to sing for you, after everything you've done and then you're just going to leave me here?" Rapunzel cried.

"I'll come back in the morning, honestly Rapunzel you really are such a drama queen. I could just force you to sing you know." Gothel smirked. "But out of the goodness of my heart I'm offering you an easy way out and something to keep you warm through the night, really Rapunzel; it hardly makes me the bad guy."

Rapunzel relented, part of her would be glad to be rid of Gothel for the night; it might even give her a chance to escape.

"Fine." Rapunzel grabbed a strand of her hair and tossed it towards Gothel.

"Flower, gleam and glow,  
>Let your power shine,<br>Make the clock reverse,  
>Bring back what once was mine."<p>

"Heal what has been hurt,  
>Change the Fates' design,<br>Save what has been lost,  
>Bring back what once was mine,<br>What once was mine."

"There now, that wasn't so hard was it?" Gothel sneered. "Here." She threw her cape at Rapunzel. "See you in the morning dear." She cackled as she left the clearing.

Rapunzel sat in frustration, she picked at her stale bread, nibbling it as she waited for the anger boiling inside of her to simmer down. She gave some bread to Pascal but he was no more impressed with it than she was.

"C'mon Pascal, we have to eat." Rapunzel encouraged him but the little chameleon refused. "Can't say I blame you." Rapunzel sighed. With most of the night ahead of her Rapunzel began looking for a way to escape. She checked all of the pockets in Gothels cape but came up empty handed, she looked around the area for a sharp rock or stick that she might be able to use to pry apart the chains holding her, she found a few but none of them worked. Pascal helped by looking further afar and dragging rocks and sticks back to Rapunzel but none of them worked, either she wasn't strong enough or the rocks and sticks weren't.

"Nothing's working Pascal, what are we going to do?" She cried. The little chameleon put up his arms in defeat. Then, suddenly, he bounded on to all fours, scurried over to the bread and gathered a few crumbs up. "What is it?" Rapunzel questioned. Pascal dropped a crumb behind him and kept walking, a few steps later he dropped another crumb, and then a few steps later he dropped yet another. "You think we should leave a trail?" Rapunzel exclaimed excitedly. "For Eugene and Max to find!" She gushed and picked Pascal up holding him to her face and kissing him on the top of his head. "That's a wonderful idea! But what should we use?" Rapunzel thought out loud. "I know, my petit coat, Gothel won't notice if it's torn and Max might be able to track my scent from it."

Rapunzel picked up a sharp rock with renewed vigour and went about cutting her lace petit coat into small squares of fabric. An hour or so later she had small squares of lace tucked inside her shirt ready to be slipped into corners of rocks, left on branches of trees and thrown into bushes as Rapunzel and Gothel continued their journey out of the kingdom. With a feeling of satisfaction knowing that she had taken a step to free herself from Gothel, Rapunzel was able to curl up inside the cape and drift into sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Morning came with a pale glow that lazily streamed through the trees, it was yet to gain its strength and did little to usher away the chill of the night. Rapunzel stirred, she didn't dare move out of the small cocoon of warmth she had made around herself, she hadn't slept well at all as she was continually woken by the noises in the forest or when her body had shivered so much it had woken her. Pascal was huddled against her gently snoring; it appeared he had slept much better than she had. She wanted to get up and stretch but the chains wouldn't let her get far and it was much too cold anyway. She went over her plan for the day in her mind, she had her squares of petit coat ready to go, she had already tucked one into the corner of the rock nearby, which she was fairly sure Gothel wouldn't see. She had enough to drop about twelve today assuming that it took Eugene another three days to find her, but she hoped he found her sooner, she wished he would come striding up the riverbank towards her right now, wrap her in a warm blanket and take her home, wherever that was now. She let herself imagine that for a minute, she wondered if she willed it to happen hard enough it would, she closed her eyes and pictured him so clearly in her mind then opened them but alas, he was not there.

An hour later the sun had risen a little more but was still struggling to warm the day, Gothel had been leading them north into the highlands; it seemed it was quite a bit cooler up here. Rapunzel finally braved the cold and unravelled her cocoon, it felt good to stretch her aching muscles, they were all fatigued from shivering half the night. She pointed her toes as she stretched and was unpleasantly surprised by the jab of pain that shot through her foot as she did.

"Ouch" She said, waking Pascal, he looked at her with an alarmed expression. "It's ok, it's just my foot." She reassured him pulling her foot towards her for a closer inspection. It was the cut she had gotten yesterday on that sharp stick, it was red and inflamed, she cleaned it off as best she could and tore a little more of her petit coat. "Can you wet this is the river Pascal?" He hurried over to the river with the fabric in his mouth and dipped it in the river; he then carefully carried it back to her. "Thank you Pascal, I'm so glad you're with me." She smiled and he smiled back. Rapunzel cleaned off her foot some more then wrapped another strip of her petit coat around the wound. "There, that should do it." She said aloud, a little more confidently than she felt, her body was not used to all the germs out in the real world and given that she was exhausted, hungry and cold her body must have been having trouble healing, her foot didn't look good.

"Rapunzel, there you are, I knew I left you around here somewhere." Gothel cackled as she meandered down the pathway to the river. "Did you sleep well? I'm just kidding, of course you didn't. I, on the other hand slept very well, such a warm bed with lovely feather pillows."

"Good Morning Gothel." Rapunzel said through gritted teeth.

"Ready for the next part of our journey dear? Oh, I'll be needing that back; it's a little chilly this morning." She pulled the cape from Rapunzel's shoulders. "Well get up then, we can't sit around all day." She unlocked the chains and gave them a tug.

Rapunzel got to her feet, ignoring the pain in her foot as best as she could, it was time to start making her trail for Eugene to find, she knew he would find it and that gave her hope. They continued down the river and then took a fork in the road to the right; Rapunzel pushed a square of fabric onto a twig to indicate the way they went. That's number two, she said under her breath, wondering how long it would take Eugene to find it, knowing that soon his hands would touch the same piece of fabric built the warm feeling of hope in the pit of her stomach. She knew he would come for her.

Further down that same river Eugene and Max were rising as well, the campfire had helped to keep them a bit warmer through the night and they had slept reasonably well. Max had used his unique sniffing abilities to sniff out an apple tree not far from their camp site and both had filled their stomachs with the sweet juicy apples and were feeling refreshed.

"Ready to go Max?" Eugene asked, stuffing a few more apples into the saddle bags and filling his canteen with water. Max whinnied his response and stood to attention, and in a moment the two of them were splashing across a low point in the river to begin the hunt to pick up the lost trail. Max was able to pick up Rapunzel's scent again along the river bank, but it was weak as it had been many hours since they had passed by this way and he struggled to find their exact path. A few hours later they were still moving slowly along the river when suddenly Max began wildly chasing back and forth with his nose to the ground. Eugene dismounted as he was starting to feel dizzy from the crazy pattern that Max was going in.

"What is it?" He asked. Max ignored him and continued to pace around with his nose almost glued to the ground. "Fine, I'll just wait." Eugene said to himself as clearly Max was ignoring him. A few moments later Max stopped dead and whinnied loudly in Eugene's directions. "So you are talking to me now, what is it buddy?" He hurried over to Max.

Max was pointing to the ground with his hoof. Eugene looked at the ground; it looked the same as the rest of the ground they had been crossing for the last few hours.

"I don't see anything." Max pointed again and waited for Eugene to understand. He did not. Max rolled his eyes at Eugene then lowered his head and delicately picked up a stick between his teeth.

"Well, this is hardly the time for a game of fetch." Eugene commented in his cheeky sarcastic manner, but held out his hand as Max placed the stick in it. "Ok, it's a stick, why are you showing me a stick?" he said in thought. He examined it looking for a clue, eventually he found it.

"There is blood on this stick!"

Max nodded in confirmation.

"Rapunzel's blood?" Eugene asked his voice getting higher in panic.

Max nodded again.

"What happened to her Max, we've got to do something!"

Max nodded again and indicated for Eugene to hop back into the saddle, which he did with great speed.

For a while the trail was easy for Max to follow as the cut of Rapunzel's foot had left a steady trail for a few miles but eventually the blood from the cut had dried and it became harder to follow. Their pace slowed and frustration returned, they got to a clearing along the river and they stopped to have a drink and eat a few more apples. Eugene dismounted and splashed some water over his face to try and keep his calm. Rapunzel was hurt and being dragged through the country side by a crazed witch, he felt helpless again. He paced around the clearing, trying to think of what else he could be doing to help her, he couldn't think of anything. He looked around in frustration, where was she taking her? Something caught his eye on one of the rocks he was pacing next too. It was a tiny scrap of fabric, squeezed in between two rocks, but it was clean and white and had not weathered at all, it must not have been there long.

A burst of hope went through him, was it a clue left by Rapunzel?

"Hey Max, come here quick!" he shouted. The horse cantered over to him. "Can you tell if this was Rapunzel's?" He pointed to the fabric. The horse quickly sniffed the small square and let out an affirmative whinny.

"She's leaving us clues Max!" He shouted in delight. "That's my girl!" He danced around on the spot. Max joined him and pranced in a circle. "Ok, let's go find the next one!" The two hurried off down the river their hopes renewed and confidence restored.


	4. Chapter 4

Rapunzel and Gothel climbed higher into the mountains, the leafy forests turned into windswept hills framed by snow capped mountains and still they trudged on. The wind that blustered over the bare hills was icy having come straight of the snowy mountains in the distance and it cut through Rapunzel's light summer dress like razors, her feet were going numb which was probably a good thing as it stopped the cut on her foot from hurting quite so much. They had been walking all day and it was beginning to get dark, Rapunzel had been leaving her scraps of fabric behind her all day, praying that Eugene would find her. But so far there had been no sign of him. In the distance she could see the slight glow of a village as the light faded.

"I'll stop in that village for the night." Gothel said, sounding almost as tired as Rapunzel.

"And where will I stay? Outside again?" Rapunzel questioned her fatigue reducing her patience.

"No, there is a barn up ahead; I'll leave you there to sleep with the animals." Gothel answered.

"Fine." Rapunzel sighed, anywhere that was out of the wind where she could rest sounded good.

They entered the barn as the last of the sun dipped behind the mountains, it was small and old but it kept most of the wind out and there were bales of hay piled around that would serve as a bed for the night. There were a few sheep in a stable with their lambs, a considerate farmer must have rounded them up and put them into the barn to protect them from the chilling temperatures of the night. Rapunzel followed Gothel to a corner of the barn and stood quietly while she shackled her to a wooden beam.

"Here's what's left of the food and the last of the water." Gothel tossed her satchel at Rapunzel's feet. "Try and get some sleep, we carry on into the mountains in the morning." Even Gothel's usual sneer and harsh remarks had vanished after the long day. Rapunzel lowered her head submissively, not having the energy to fight or even respond. Gothel left the barn without another word and Rapunzel stood alone in the dim, creaking barn with the wind howling at its doors.

* * *

><p>Eugene and Max were circling, they had made great progress tracking Rapunzel all day but now they were stumped. They had lost her scent a few miles back and couldn't seem to pick it up again or find any more scraps of fabric to help them on their way. They were on the edge of the forest and were faced with several different paths, some going up into the mountains others following the curve of the valley down and out towards the sea. They doubled back again to where they last had her scent and took the next path that they hadn't tried yet.<p>

"Maybe this is the one Max." Eugene tried to keep their spirits up but as daylight faded and his stomach growled fiercely at him he began to lose hope. "We'll try this path and if we have no luck, we'll head to that inn a few miles back, get some rest and start out at first light." He conceded. Max whinnied in agreement. The path took them down a steep hill and followed a trickling creek towards the valley, Eugene hoped this wasn't the way Rapunzel had been taken, it meant they might be going towards the sea, and if they got on a boat, he'd never find them.

A few miles later Max lifted his nose from the ground and paused. He hadn't picked up even a hint of her scent, he eyed Eugene who shook his head, they had chosen the wrong path again. Admitting defeat, they turned and headed back the way they had came, the weariness from the day and the fact that they were losing ground on Rapunzel and Gothel weighed heavily on their shoulders. The sun had been gone for some time and the stars were twinkling in the crisp night sky, it was getting colder and colder they further they went. Eugene worried for Rapunzel, he hated the thought of her being out in the cold, he hoped she had found warmth and shelter for the night, he wished he could be there to comfort her and keep her safe and warm. Maybe tomorrow he would be able to hold her, maybe tomorrow he would find her and take her away from Gothel and protect her from all the cruelness in the world. That thought would keep him going, keep him from giving up.

They hurried back to the inn, and after Eugene secured a warm stable and a generous portion of feed for Max he stumbled into the inn, quickly devoured a bowl of stew, fell into a small bed and instantly fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

><p>Rapunzel pulled out an apple, a small piece of cheese and the last of a stale loaf of bread. She was feeling dizzy and her stomach was so hungry that she was feeling unwell so she slowly nibbled the food allowing her body time process it. She looked at her foot in the dark and it was hard to tell how bad her wound was but the searing pain she felt when she examined it with her fingers was not a good sign. Her whole foot was hot and she feared it was getting worse, she tore at her petit coat again and used the last of the water to clean her foot, it was throbbing afterwards and she lay down on the hay to rest it. Pascal watched on with concern, he scurried about the barn looking for something to help Rapunzel but it was quiet bare, he did however find a rag that could be used to wrap around Rapunzel's foot and he stubbornly dragged it across the barn to her. She tore the last of her petit coat and folded it over the wound before she wrapped the rag around her foot tying it firmly in place at least that would help to keep her foot protected as she traipsed across the countryside tomorrow she thought. She buried into the hay, laying it over her body and listened to the wind clawing at the old wooden slats of the barn, Pascal snuggled in close to her and started snoring. Rapunzel was exhausted but couldn't sleep, her heart was too heavy with sadness, she had hoped Eugene would have found her by now, she knew that the further away she got the harder it would be for him to find her. She let a few quiet tears fall in the darkness, perhaps she was just tired and tomorrow she would feel better, stronger and her hope renewed but for now she let herself cry, she gave in to the fear, the loneliness and like a little girl she wept.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Rapunzel had slept on and off throughout the night, the howling wind had blown so hard that she had felt the barn shuddering and had wondered if it would still be standing by morning. When daylight finally broke, Rapunzel awoke feeling worse than the day before, her body ached and her head was pounding. She shifted around in her makeshift bed trying to ease her discomfort but it was to no avail, her foot was hurting her again and she winced when she opened her eyes to the weak daylight that had begun to stream through the cracks of the barns wall. She was getting sick, she knew her foot was not getting better and so she closed her eyes and rested awaiting Gothel's return.

Sometime later, Gothel arrived back at the barn looking well rested and with supplies for the day's journey ahead. She scolded Rapunzel and shook her awake before tossing a black moth eaten cape and an old pair of leather boots at her. "Here, you'll need these where we are going."

"And where is that?" Rapunzel asked still half asleep.

"Across the mountains to a small isolated village, it's only another days walk, there is a small cottage for sale far enough away from everyone not to cause suspicion. We'll go there for now, until I can find something more suitable."

"How do you know where it is?"

"I spoke to some people in the town last night; it sounds like it will be just what we need. Get you cape on, we're leaving." Rapunzel struggled out from under the hay and gingerly put weight on her foot, she had planned to say something to Gothel about it but given that they only had another day to get to the cottage she decided not to. She could rest and heal when she got there and she still held hope that Eugene would find her before then. She had dreamt of him during the night, they were crazy, feverish dreams that made no sense but she felt a some comfort and a little closer to him none the less. Rapunzel wrapped the cape around her and awkwardly stepped into the boots, she then checked that Pascal was safe on her shoulder before limping out of the barn and began the journey further into the mountains.

Eugene awoke before dawn that day, the hearty food and a comfortable bed had revived him immensely and he hurried down to the stables to awaken Max. They set off at a brisk pace as the first glimmer of light broke through the darkness; they followed the road back to the fork and chose another path, this one winding up into the hills. Eugene feared that the trail may have gone cold and that Rapunzel was slipping away, he could sense the urgency in Max's stride as they desperately searched for clues. Not too far down the track Eugene caught a glimpse of white out of the corner of his eye. "Wait, Max!" he shouted as he leapt from the saddle. He threw himself onto the ground and pulled the white fabric out from under a small rock. "We're on the right path Max! Let's keep going!" He shouted as he tucked the fabric inside his shirt and leapt onto Max's back.

A few hours later they followed the trail to a large rickety barn that stood on the side of a windswept hill, Eugene dismounted and prayed that when he entered he would find Rapunzel, he pushed open the door. But alas it was empty; he rummaged around the barn looking for any further clues. There was one spot that looked like it may have been slept in, he looked closer and found a rag nearby with blood on it. His pulse quickened, she was hurt and badly enough that she was still bleeding a full day after they found the first blood. He carefully took the rag out to Max. "I found this Max, was it her?" Max sniffed and let out a low breath and nodded. "We've got to find to her." Eugene went back into the barn to check for any other clues he may have missed when a farmer appeared at the door.

"What are you doing in my barn?" He demanded in a gruff voice.

"Oh, sir, please, you might be able to help. I'm looking for my friend, she's been kidnapped and she's hurt, have you seen her, she's about eighteen years old and has long blonde hair; she was travelling with an older lady with black curly hair. Have you seen them?" Eugene blurted out without taking a breath.

"Eye, I did see them." The farmer leaned on his shovel.

"Where are they?" Eugene grabbed the farmer's arms and shook him.

"They left early this morning I think." The farmer said as he swiped Eugene away.

"Where did they go?"

"Headed in to town." The farmer smoothed his coat down as he frowned at Eugene.

"Just down the hill here?" Eugene pointed enthusiastically.

"Yeah, that's what I think the woman said."

Eugene bolted out the door as he called out thanks and Max and he charged down the hill towards town.

The farmer patted his jacket pocket that was weighed down by a few shiny new gold coins. The strange woman that he had run in to that morning had paid him to tell anyone that asked after them that she was heading in to town, he had agreed to it not just for the gold but out of fear, there was something strange about her and he wanted nothing more to do with her but he also dare not disobey her. He watched after the frantic young man and horse and hoped they would find whoever they were looking for, and then continued on about his business.


End file.
